Critical analysis of of studies by bacon

6 June 2016

Bacon’s style is most remarkable for its terseness. Bacon displays a great talent for condensation. Every sentence in his essays is pregnant with meaning and is capable of being expanded into several sentences. Many of sentences appear to be proverbial saying by virtue of their gems of thoughts expressed in a pithy manner. Its can say two most in the fewest words. Its essays combine wisdom in thoughts with extreme brevity. The short pithy sayings in his essays have become popular mottoes and house hold expressions. Bacon appears before the reader in these essays not in the character of a scientist or philosopher, but as a man of the world. We may call him “a citizen of the world” a term which he himself has used in one place in these essays, but for the fact that he is too much an English man, a protestant Englishman, and an Elizabethan Jacobean Englishman.

He writes of thoughts his dispersed meditations about human life and society. Bacon remains singularly aloof from moral consideration. He judges the validity of a course of an action not on moral but prudential ground. He condemns cunning not as a thing loath some and vile, but as a thing unwise. Likewise, he considers the disadvantage of simulation and dissimulation not as a moralist but as a practical man of the world. In three ways they prove disadvantageous to man in the practical affairs of life. The word “essay” was first used by French writer Montaigne from whom bacon adopted it. Bacons essays are in class apart from those of the other essayists like lamb, Macaulay and Addison. He himself called them “pithy jottings” rather apt than curious.

The description exactly fits his writings especially earlier assay like “of studies”. In “of studies” the sentences are nearly all short, crisp and sententious. There are few connectives. Each sentence stands, by itself, expressing briefly and precisely his weighty thought. The epigrammatic terseness and the sharp antithesis and balance are seen as found in all his writings. But in, “of truth”, bacon imparts warmth and colour to his style. Illus-tractions abound, metaphors and similes crop-up. In “of studies” each sentence is concentrated expression of his idea and most of them have acquired the universal currency of proverbs. Bacon speaks at length of the value of study, how and why it is worthy.

He lays out the value of knowledge in practical terms bacon considers to what use studies might be put in a direct & Pointed way. He has skillfully used parallel sentences structure. This stylistic technique lends clarity and order to the writing. He is less interested in their theoretical promise than in their practical utility. According to him, three purposes are served by studies. 1.They give delight

2.They are an ornament to man 3.They add to the ability of man Studies is a source of delight in one’s conversation leisure time and solitude. It dispels bore don of in our lives. They also have an ornamental value: one can get material to garnish one’s conversation and speech with studies also help to develop one’s ability to judge and handle business with ease and success. Studies add to knowledge of the reader and make him a best person. But excessive study is not good if we spend too much time on studies or waste our time over the theoretical aspects of things instead of applying our knowledge to specific life-situation, it is nothing else than laziness and lethargy over much study may also tempts us to make a needless parade of our learning, such display of learning is an artificial unnatural pretence. It may develop in us a tendency to separate studies from the practical use of book-learning. This kind of “hum our” or “bias” or bookishness of a scholar is to be avoided. Studies bring to perfection one’s natural abilities through experience in handling life situations.

Natural abilities include crude instincts impulses. Desires, passions or qualities inherited from one’s fore father or learnt from social milieu, just as the careful gardener prunes of superfluous growths of unwanted braches of plants in a garden. As a matter of fact, bookish knowledge must be supplemented and perfected by the practical experience of life. crafty and cunning people condemn studies, for they think they are clever enough to do without them simple people admire books but they fail to use them in their practical life it is only the wise who make the right use of knowledge they derive from books.

Books don’t teach their own use of knowledge they derive from books. But it is wisdom which is acquired by the experience of life. Bacon advises that reader neither should reject the views of the anthers nor should he accepted the printed words as a kind of gospel –truth but should judge the things naturally. We should cultivate the has it of properly evaluating the worth of the opinion expressed in books by bringing to bear on this work of appraisal our powers of critical judgment.

Bacon says that all book have not the same value and utility, some books are to be tasted i.e, read but not so curiously, there are few books that read with full attention and concentration and kept in mind deeply. He father say, that all books are not to be read personally. Some books on less important topics and they should be read through in the form of summary or abstract. Such books may be given to one’s deputies and assistants so that they could read them and pick the most important material bring into the notice of the concerned person. Summaries of the books are like the insipid water. Bacon also discussing on the three dimensions of knowledge and its advantage. Reading makes a man well informed

Conversation makes him well informed To write well he needs a good memory, for a writer should be careful not to repeat his ideas. Commenting upon different disciplines of studies Bacon says that: Books on history add to the wisdom of man for they are authentic account of the plots made by the leaders of men who have gained tremendous success in life or failed miserably. The study of mathematics’ makes men clever and quick in grasping the study of natural science increases the depth of mind. Morality makes man gave and the study of logical enable men to argue well.

Bacon concludes his essays “of studies” by suggesting remedies for deficiencies in some of the mental faculties. He believes that there is scarcely any frailty in human mind. Just as physical exercises can cure the diseases of the body, the imperfections of the mind can be expelled by study. To prove his point, bacon gives following examples: Bowling is considered good for coming the stone in the kidney Shoaling is good exercise for lungs & breast

Gentle waling is good for the stomach Riding is prescribed for any illness associated with the head If a man’s mind lacks concentration he should study mathematics because it is very good for man’s mental exercise. If one is unable to discover the fine distinctions, he should study the of the medieval philosophers If a man has wavering mind and unsteady memory, he should study the law cases, because layer does have to keep in mind precedents relevant to their cases. This every defect of the mind can be cared by the study of the proper subject

We could say without any exaggeration is one of the finest and widely read essay in English prose. It gives us a number of sound maxims and a number of sentences that we can use as quotation when occasion demands. Some of sentences indeed ding to our memory without any mental afford, to our part to memories them so that incisiveness is a good reason why it is best known essays from the pen of bacon.

Bacon was a learned lawyer, philosopher and scientist. He classified knowledge in to different branches with great success. All his personal features, experiences and studies, we can easily find out throughout his writings specially the essay “of studies” like. “Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability” “crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise man use them” “Some books are to be lasted other to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested”. “Reading makes a full, conference a ready man and writing exact man”. Every do beat mind may have a special receipt.

Song bacon’s fascination, incisiveness and personally involve meat makes his writing enriched with full of fruits.

How to cite Critical analysis of of studies by bacon essay

Choose cite format:

Critical analysis of of studies by bacon. (2016, Jun 30). Retrieved June 7, 2020, from https://newyorkessays.com/essay-critical-analysis-of-of-studies-by-bacon-2/